MG WA

Manufacturer	MG Car Company
Production	1938–1939 369 made
Predecessor	MG SA saloon
Body style	4-door saloon 4-seat tourer drophead coupé
Engine	2561 cc Straight-6
Wheelbase	123 inches (3124 mm)
Length	194 inches (4928 mm)
Width	67 inches (1702 mm)

The MG WA was a sporting saloon produced by the MG Car company between 1938 to 1939 and was at the time the largest and heaviest car the company had built. Although similar to the SA the car had a wider track at the rear allowing a larger body to be fitted.

The car used a tuned version of the six-cylinder Morris QPHG engine enlarged to 2561 cc. The compression ratio was increased to 7.25 to 1 and a new balanced crankshaft was fitted. Drive was to the live rear axle via a four-speed manual gearbox with synchromesh on the top three ratios and a divided propshaft. Wire wheels were fitted and the 14 inch drum brakes were hydraulically operated using a Lockheed system.

The saloon body was made in-house by Morris and was a spacious four-door with traditional MG grille flanked by two large chrome plated headlights. It can be distinguished from the outwardly similar SA by the front bumper which has a dip in the centre and the spare wheel was carried on the front wing as opposed to the boot lid. Inside there were individual seats in front and a bench seat with folding centre arm rest at the rear, all with leather covering and a return was made to the traditional octagonal framed instruments.

The factory could also supply the car as a Tickford drophead coupé or four-door tourer and some chassis went to external coachbuilders including Keller, Reinbolt and Salmons and Son. The saloon was priced at GBP442, the four-seat tourer GBP450 and the Tickford coupé GBP468.

Production stopped with the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and the car was not re-introduced in 1945.

References [edit]

• Abingdon's Jaguar Beater. Jonathan Wood. The Automobile. November 2006. ISSN 0955-1328
• MG Sportscars. Malcolm Green. CLB International. 1997 ISBN 1-85833-606-6

External links [edit]

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